Avatar: Second Chances
by Reyana00
Summary: Doctor John Hale leaves earth to study Pandora, will he find the second chance at life he so desperately seeks? JS & N Seceral OCs. Please Read and Review.
1. Triage

Legal: All movie characters, locations, and names are the intellectual property of James Cameron and/or Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. I claim no ownership over anything but my original characters and original plot line.

I hope you all enjoy this story. I've outlined quite a few chapters and it should be an interesting ride. Please read and review, let me know what you think and if I should continue. The main focus of the story will be on 3 OCs with J.S. and N as well. Enjoy and please R&R.

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I. Triage

Year: 2133

Location: Earth

Jake Sully felt the vibrations of the Samson as it hovered above the tree line moving towards the drop zone. His unit had been chosen as first recon in this area to determine enemy position and strength. It wouldn't be the first time he had been on first recon in a hostile environment, but something felt different about this one. It was another pointless battle over the few remaining resources left on the earth. Jake had watched the earth deteriorate as he grew up; he knew that the amount of natural resources on the planet was dangerously low. Humanity seemed driven to conflict at every turn as competing factions began to wage war over the scarce resources.

This battle would be no different from any others that Jake had been in, fighting to secure some resource that would allow people to live on for however short a time until the resource failed. It was always the same battle, different locations perhaps, but the same pointless fighting everywhere. Jake was resigned to his fate as a marine. In all likelihood he would die on one of these battlefields and become just another faceless casualty of the senseless conflict, conflict it seemed that no one could escape from.

The Samson began a sharp dive down toward the tree tops, pulling Jake out of his stupor and forcing his attention on the coming mission. He could hear his commanding officer speaking through his ear piece, giving details of what the estimated enemy strength in this region was. Jake tuned him out as the Samson leveled off and the green light came on, indicating they were above the drop zone. Jake looked out the door, hooked his harness in and dropped into the waiting darkness below.

Breaking through the trees quickly Jake landed and unhooked himself, raising his rifle in a defensive posture he covered the rest of his unit while they dropped. They unit assembled and began to move, quickly yet quietly through the underbrush. They walked until they came to the outskirts of a small village, cheaply constructed housing designed to hold as many people in the smallest amount of space possible.

"Alright people, listen up." Jake could hear his CO speaking through the radio. "Satellite recon shows this village could be a possible hot spot for enemy activity. I want the area around these dwellings scouted for enemy movements and capabilities. Sully, take Jones and head down the east side, radio in if you have something. Move Out." the radio transmission ended.

Jake looked quietly at Jones and motioned for him to follow as he set off down the eastern edge of the village. Slowly they made their way from corner to corner, crouching low and checking every possible place an enemy might be hiding. Suddenly an extremely bright light flashed to the west. Jake was felt the warmth on his face and the rush of the wind as an explosion ripped through the buildings on the western side of the village. The fire from the explosion seemed to go from building to building, first one exploded, then another, and another.

"Run Jones, run and don't stop running" Jake said as he turned and started to sprint away from the explosions, sensing Jones was running behind him. They turned a corner only to dive to the ground as an explosion destroyed the building nearest them. Shrapnel and debris flew over them, the fire spreading through the buildings. Quickly Jake pulled Jones to his feet and told him the only way to survive was to run. They kept running away from the explosions not watching in which direction they were running. Too late he realized his mistake. Extreme pain erupted within Jake as a bullet entered his chest, ripping through him. Jake's face went white with shock as the realization dawned on him; they had been herded right into an enemy ambush. Jake could see Jones kneeling down over him, firing his rifle rapidly. Everything was slipping away, Jake's view of the world darkened as his body went numb, he felt no pain or fear. It was as if nothing mattered to him anymore other then embracing the cold darkness that was quickly overtaking him.

Jake saw Jones take two rounds through his chest, his body landing next to his. Jake looked into the lifeless eyes and saw the same cold darkness that he knew was coming to take him. All that was left for him now was to embrace the future, to let go and become one with death. Explosions still going off around him, but none of that mattered now as his body went limp, his mind blank, and the darkness overcame him.

**

A thin veil of mist hung over the ground, swirling in the light breeze. John Hale crouched in the brush, watching the mist as it passed over the rubble that had once been a small village. He smelled the stench of death and decay, the air growing fouler the closer he came to the site of yesterdays battle. A slight noise sounded to his right as someone crawled up next to him. John could tell from the soldiers somewhat labored breathing that he was not used to the smells of battle and death. A voice finally broke the silence that had fallen over John's unit, "Area secure, check for survivors and police these bodies."

John stumbled to his feet, realizing his left leg had fallen asleep from the uncomfortable position he had been laying in. His 6 foot frame ached from lying on the ground for so long. He might not be in as good a shape as the young grunts that made up his unit, but he was in incredibly good shape for a marine that turned 30 and wasn't getting any younger. John's green eyes surveyed the battlefield before him, watching the soldiers checking the bodies of the fallen searching for signs of life. He was tired of war, tired of the battlefield and the blood of all the dead that he couldn't seem to wash off his hands no matter how hard he tried.

"You're up Doc, got some wounded over here." came a soldiers voice somewhere from John's left. John sighed as the soldier pulled him out of his inner turmoil and headed toward the voice, fairly sure of what he would find, but holding out some small measure of hope that someone might be saved from this mess of a battle. The body came into view as he walked nearer, immediately John knew that there was little hope for this soldier. He knelt next to the young marine, running his hands over the soldier's arms and legs, feeling the broken bones beneath. There was another complication as the soldier was bleeding profusely and John was certain this was a lost cause. As he looked into this dying soldier's eyes John could feel the tremendous pain he was in.

"I'm sorry son, this is all I can do for you right now." John said as he plunged the needle into the soldier's arm. He heard the soldier's breathing ease as the morphine circulated through his system, relieving him of his current suffering. John stood and made his way through the bodies the soldiers had tagged, searching for signs of life.

John had been on fields of death such as this one before. Battlefield triage was a dirty business and one he was quickly growing weary of. Deciding who lives or dies should not be a doctor's job, but it was the job that had been forced upon John ever since he had joined the marines as a battlefield surgeon. He could still remember how he had been told his future would be so bright; he had done well in medical school even graduating early. All of his colleagues were so surprised when he declined all of their invitations to join up with their lucrative practices. None of them could grasp John's reasoning for joining the marines and becoming a battlefield surgeon. Oftentimes when John reflected on this decision even he didn't fully understand, but it was a decision he had felt compelled to make.

"Doc, we got some more over here for you to take a look at, two bodies. One dead, but the other is alive and in pretty bad shape." The voice broke through John's mental fog causing him to blink, suddenly remembering where he was.

"Yes, thank you corporal. Keep searching the village for any more and keep me informed." John said as he moved away from the living marine, and towards the one who was not so lucky. As he approached John could tell that this marine was dead. He crouched down and searched for the dog tags that would identify the body, finding what he was looking for and noting this was the body of Private First Class Jones. John looked over to see another body near the first. As he moved to check the body he had a terrible feeling that this would be just another corpse

**

Jake could not tell where he was, but he could feel the incredible force of the wind as it rushed by his face, his hair flowing freely in it. All he could see was an impenetrable wall of mist but he could tell he was flying through it. Jake had never felt such an exhilarating feeling as this, he was flying and it was the most magnificent feeling he had ever had. He certainly wished he could see what he was flying over, but the mist would not break no matter how far he flew. There was something else here that Jake couldn't quite make out. A strong female presence that seemed to exist, but also didn't exist. Suddenly Jake heard a voice, a deep voice that he had never heard before.

"Corporal, can you hear me? Come back corporal, come back." the voice was saying over and over. No matter how far Jake flew the voice was getting louder. The mist closed in on him until he was in the blackness once more. With great effort Jake opened his eyes.

**

John saw the marine's eyes open; it was nothing short of a miracle that this marine was even still breathing considering the wounds he had sustained. He slowly examined the wounded soldier noticing some external wounds due to explosive shrapnel and some slight burns. The bigger problem came from the gunshot wound that John found in the marine's chest just under his ribcage. It seemed to pass right through his body and John guessed there was significant internal damage.

"What's your name son?" John asked.

"Sully. Jake Sully, and you sir?" the soldier replied, wincing from pain as he spoke.

"The name is Hale, John Hale. You can call me Doc though, everybody else does." John replied. John grabbed his kit and pushed a needle into Jake's arm, giving him a dose of morphine to deaden the pain. Pressing a stack of gauze firmly against Jake's chest wound, trying to slow the flow of blood. John was determined to save this marine, to give him a second chance at life; hopefully far away from this hell hole. "I need you to tell me some things so that I will be able to help you, can you do that for me Jake?" John said.

"Yea doc, I'm obviously not goin anywhere so fire away." Jake said his voice sounding very pained and weak.

"Can you move your extremities for me? I need to know the extent of the damage." John watched as Jake moved his fingers slowly, then his right and left arms. Suddenly a pained expression appeared on Jake's face.

"Doc I can't feel my legs, I can't even move them. Something is really wrong here doc." Jake said, hysterics beginning to creep into his voice.

John looked down at Jake's legs and feet seeing no external injuries. "Well your legs are still attached, so it is possible you have some internal injury causing this. Don't worry son, we'll get you out of here and get you fixed up. I promise." John said as he motioned to his squad leader that he needed a medevac as soon as possible. John supervised the squad as they carefully moved Jake onto a stretcher and into the Samson that had arrived to get them out of this field of death. He took another morphine injection and put it in Jake's arm. "Hold on Jake, we are almost to a real hospital." John said as he prayed that he might be able to save just one person out of this terrible mess.

**

Jake could tell he was flying again. He could feel the wind against his face and bare skin as he flew. The mist was thinner this time; he could just make out the shapes of giant tree tops in the distance. Jake felt the pain and anguish of knowing that he could not feel his legs anymore. He know something was wrong but it didn't matter, flying felt so liberating to him and he never wanted to stop. Yet he felt the same strange female presence in this place, so powerful and strong willed. He was not sure if the presence was a figment of his imagination, but it certainly felt real. It seemed to be flying with him as he began to soar higher and faster, the trees coming into clear view now. It was the most stunning sight Jake had ever seen and he never wanted to leave.

**

John had never argued so hard for any patient before in his life. He knew that this man was a hero and was worth saving. His superiors had agreed that he was worth saving and so John was allowed to save him. He had taken Jake to emergency surgery several times to patch up internal wounds and close external ones. The problem had come when John had found that the bullet had pierced Jake's spine. This kind of injury would cause paralysis from the waist down and John realized that would be hell for any marine. So he had fought to give the marine his legs back, fought to secure the funding that would allow him to perform the operation to restore the spine.

In the end John's request was firmly denied and he was threatened by way of court martial to let it go. John had been forced to leave Jake's spine in the damaged state it was in. He realized this was condemning Jake to life in a wheelchair, but John had no choice so he repaired what damage he could. John oversaw Jake's recovery, feeling it was a bittersweet victory. He had actually been able to save someone after that terrible battle but at the same time he was not able to fully restore Jake to the way he should rightfully be.

**

John handed in his resignation, not caring what he would do now that he did not have the military to fall back on. None of it mattered, as long as he was away from the death of all the pointless battlefields. As he was lying in bed one morning the video phone rang.

"Hello?" John answered, sounding a bit more annoyed at the intrusion then he meant to.

A woman with slightly curled brown hair appeared on the video phone. "Is this Doctor John Hale?" the voice on the other end of the video phone asked.

"Who are you?" John asked, trying to be as polite as possible.

"Doctor Hale I am Doctor Grace Augustine, I am in charge of the avatar program for the RDA." the woman responded still smiling politely as she spoke. "I would like to offer you the chance to experience something completely different, a research position that I think you will find most interesting."

"What kind of research position? And what do you mean completely different?" John's curiosity was beginning to get the better of him.

"It is a position that is completely out of this world. Tell me Doctor Hale, have you ever heard of Pandora?" Grace asked as she smiled. "Basically I am offering you the opportunity to study the world of Pandora, including the native people and all the other creatures and plants."

"And just how does one go about studying these things on this other world?" John asked into the video phone. "Everything you hear about Pandora is about how dangerous it is."

"Well doctor Hale, my program uses the DNA of the natives mixed with the DNA of a human driver to grow an avatar that the driver can then pilot around." Grace explained. "You are able to use your own avatar to study everything from a truly safe environment."

John thought about his life and about all the death he had seen on earth. He knew that he wanted to get away. He knew that there was something more waiting for him than the death of another battlefield on earth. "I'll do it." John said quickly into the video phone.

"Are you sure you don't want to even take a day or two to think about it?" Grace asked.

"No I am sure, I've never been more sure of anything in my life, when do we leave?" John responded immediately.

"I'm sending you an address and I'll expect you in two days, training for this mission will take 5 years so make sure to get here on time John." Grace said as she sent John the file and ended the video phone transmission.

John looked up through the polluted haze of the sky on earth, wondering what exactly he was getting himself into.


	2. Pandora

Legal: All movie characters, locations, and names are the intellectual property of James Cameron and/or Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. I claim no ownership over anything but my original characters and original plot line.

Any lines spoken in Na'vi will be _italicized_ in the quotes since I am terrible with translating it.

This is a relatively short chapter with more back story, I promise we will get to the important OCs soon enough. Please read and review and enjoy!

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II. Pandora

Year: 2154

Location: Pandora

Sunlight streamed in through the thick pain of glass that separated the occupants of the mobile link container from the poisonous air outside. John slowly opened his eyes, awakening from the same nightmare he always had. A nightmare of being on the battlefield surrounded by the corpses of the men he could not save. One way or another John knew he was meant for something much greater than that, and had decided Pandora would be where he discovered his destiny.

John climbed out of his bunk, looking quickly around at the inside of the mobile link site he called home. The other two occupants still sleeping quietly, no doubt lost in peaceful dreams of the beautiful world they now resided on. John remembered meeting them at the same time he met the other avatar drivers, in training back on earth. Kayla was a botanist, a particularly brilliant woman who seemed to share Doctor Augustine's love of plants over people. She mostly kept to herself and was usually absorbed in her research of Pandoran plant life.

Nick on the other hand was almost the complete opposite of Kayla. His love of languages caused him to love talking to everyone he could and he was extremely outgoing. He had been a linguist back on earth and Grace had no trouble talking him in to making the trip to Pandora. John often grew tired of dealing with Nick as he had a tendency to ramble on about the language structure of the Na'vi. Nick was helpful in teaching John the finer concepts of the Na'vi language, even if he had trouble sitting still for more than five minutes Nick was certainly a good language teacher.

They had all passed through the five years of training together, Doctor Augustine being the perfectionist that she was made sure they learned everything that was necessary to be an avatar driver. All that seemed like such a long time ago to John. After the five years of training they all still had made the six year trip through the stars. Waking up from cold sleep had been a tremendously uncomfortable experience, one that John was not looking forward to ever having again. The years had blurred together as John became lost in the beauty of Pandora, he often had trouble remembering just how long he had been there.

He still remembered his first glimpse of the Pandoran jungles, of the trees that were so green and alive. They were like nothing he had ever seen on earth, nothing had been as beautiful as walking down the ramp of the shuttle and catching that first glimpse of Pandora. Even surrounded by the ugly metal and concrete of Hell's Gate station he could still sense the beauty of this place. They had all been surprised at how warm it was here, much like the tropical locations on earth must have been before they had been destroyed by the pollution and overpopulation.

"Hey Doc, you still with us?" Nick's voice broke John from his memories. He blinked and looked up to see Nick standing over him.

"Yeah, sorry I'm here, what did you need Nick?" John said, realizing that both Nick and Kayla were awake and preparing to start their day.

"Nothin, we were just getting ready to eat before jumping into the links." Nick replied pointing towards the meals that were laid out on the table.

"Yeah great, that looks so appetizing." John stated sarcastically. The food rations were anything but appetizing, yet it was pretty much all they had in the mobile link site. John still found it a bit amusing when he thought about how they had come to be at this remote mobile link site in the first place. It seems Selfridge had finally pushed Doctor Augustine too far, constantly pressing her for a progress report on the situation with the Omaticaya Clan. The Omaticaya were the clan that the avatars had worked with most directly, a school had been opened where several of the clan had come to learn English, and to teach the avatars the finer points of the Na'vi language. That was until the school was closed and all avatars were banned from the Omaticaya village of Hometree.

John never liked Parker Selfridge or his methods, but he did not have to like the guy. He was on Pandora as a researcher under Doctor Augustine, and therefore rarely had to interact with Selfridge. The effects of Selfridge could of course be felt as things were always so rushed. It seemed the problem Selfridge had was the Omaticaya's Hometree was directly over a large Unobtanium Ore site, and Doctor Augustine was supposed to be finding a way to make them leave. There had been many times that John remembered Grace being particularly irritable and he knew it was because she had come from a meeting with Parker.

That was also the reason that John, Kayla and Nick had been moved to mobile link site number two. Doctor Augustine had finally grown tired of Selfridge interfering with all of the research, so she had sent them up here where they would not have to deal with it. The pilot, Trudy, had dropped them off with enough supplies to last a few months and they had been there ever since sending the results of their research back to Doctor Augustine at Hell's Gate.

"Alright let's get to work" Kayla said.

"_What are you working on today John_?" Nick said, looking at John as he climbed into his link station.

"_I need to do some more work on the wound paste_." John replied, still not perfectly fluent in Na'vi but Nick always told him he was improving every day. John was always a bit surprised when Nick spoke the Na'vi language to him. Kayla did not speak it and he could tell she was annoyed at times when they held a conversation in it while she was present.

John tapped on the computer screen and started running the link program. He made sure the sequence ran through then climbed into the link and closed the lid. As his mind went blank John felt as if his consciousness was ripped from one place and put in another. He breathed slowly and opened his eyes, the sunlight looking much brighter to him in his avatar body. John loved the sights and smells of Pandora through the avatar, the heightened senses made everything seem so much more real to him. The avatar made him feel so much more alive then anything he had ever experienced in his human body.

John remembered how exciting it had been transferring to his avatar the first time. The rush he felt as he opened his eyes lying on that gurney in Hell's Gate. Being able to breathe without the use of an exopack, it was the first time John had noticed the terrible smell of Hell's Gate. The exopack filtered out most of the smells, but in his avatar John could smell the fumes of the machine exhaust. Eventually he had been able to filter that out, and had learned to control his avatar. Passing the initial motor control tests and proceeding to walking and running the obstacle course in his first week on Pandora.

All that seemed so long ago to John now, as his avatar stood up and grabbed his pack containing the sample containers he would need. Kayla's avatar waved and took off into the jungle, off to find some new plant to study. John took a minute to breathe, relishing in the pure smells of the forest and the sounds of the animals. That was something he would never have been able to do on earth and it always made him smile. He motioned to Nick and they took off to look for more of the medicinal herb John had been studying.

Ever since the school had been closed, Nick had very little to do and only had John to converse with. He had started to accompany John when he went to look for samples, often commenting on particular plants and animals, helping John to learn more of the Na'vi language. John missed dealing with the Omaticaya as much as Nick did, mostly because they had shown him quite a few plants that had healing properties and this had fascinated him. One of the most amazing things they found was a sticky plant residue that could be used to bind wounds, stopping the flow of blood from a cut and allowing the body to heal naturally.

John heard the steady noise of the Samson even over the other noises of the jungle. He looked up to see Trudy's Samson flying overhead heading towards the mobile link site. "Nick, time to head back and meet up with Trudy." John yelled over the roar of the engines.

"_I hear it, you going to catch a ride back to Hell's Gate?_" Nick replied with a strange tone to his voice that made John wonder if it was because he would be stuck alone with Kayla until John returned.

"_Yes, I need to drop off these samples at the labs._" John said as he started running back towards the link site.

**

It was a long flight back to Hell's Gate, one that took John and Trudy over vast stretches of jungle and through the floating Hallelujah Mountains. John had never seen such an awe inspiring sight as the floating mountains, towering overhead. He still remembered feeling speechless at seeing them up close; none of the stories of them on earth really did them justice. No matter how many times he flew through them, they always had an effect.

After touching down at Hell's Gate John quickly put on his exopack and ran into the main complex, carrying a pack full of samples to be studied. He also had to report to Grace and give her an update on Kayla's plant studies as well. Walking into the bio-lab he could tell she was in a rare mood, annoyance seemed to be etched on the features of her face. John could only guess that Selfridge had something to do with that, but he decided he would talk to her anyway. As he started to walk towards her the link room door opened, and a familiar face came through. A face John had not seen for many years, but one he could never forget.

Jake Sully had come to Pandora.


	3. Aftermath

Legal: All movie characters, locations, and names are the intellectual property of James Cameron and/or Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. I claim no ownership over anything but my original characters and original plot line.

Any lines spoken in Na'vi will be _italicized_ in the quotes since I am terrible with translating it.

Here is Chapter 3. I think it should really start picking up here as some very important OCs will be coming in starting next chapter. Please enjoy and don't forget to review!

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III. Aftermath

Jake's arrival on Pandora had been as ordinary as every other arrival. The effects of his arrival, however, were anything but ordinary. John had been both happy and sad to see Jake. The last time John had seen Jake was when he told him that he had lost the use of his legs. Jake's reaction was at first one of anguish and pain, but that passed quickly and was replaced by grim determination. John had never seen a patient react in that way, almost as if Jake could do anything even though he would be confined to a wheel chair. John felt Jake was one of his biggest successes, but also one of his biggest failures. The one person he had saved in that battle but was unable to make whole again.

Jake had been happy to see John, asking him questions about what he was doing on Pandora, and how it felt to be an avatar driver. It made John happy knowing that Jake was able to experience something that he had lost. John knew that Jake must have been ecstatic feeling the dirt against his feet as he ran, even just being able to stand and walk again.

Looking back on it now, John realized that Jake was like a stone thrown into a pond. At first there are no noticeable effects as the ripples it creates are very small. Over time the ripples grow and grow until everyone can see the effects that the one small stone has had on the whole pond. Jake had certainly changed life for everyone on Pandora. Even living at mobile link site two, John could see the effects of the growing tensions between the Na'vi and the RDA mercenaries. Jake had fallen in love with the people of Pandora, with the forest, and with the Omaticaya princess Neytiri. He had chosen his side, and there was only one outcome, war.

The skies and jungles of Pandora were turned into battlefields, with Quaritch on one side and Jake and the Na'vi on the other. Following the destruction of Hometree Jake made a choice to lead the Omaticaya in battle as Toruk Makto. He had approached the other avatar drivers, asking them to make the choice as well. Side with the humans or side with the Na'vi and protect the world they loved. It had been an easy choice for John and the other avatar drivers living at link site two. They chose the Na'vi and Pandora, and they did whatever they could to protect them both.

**

John heard the soft moaning coming from somewhere around the wreckage of a tree up ahead. The battle with the RDA might have been over, but the aftermath of it was just being felt by those involved. In a way John thought it was ironic that here he was, on a planet so far from earth, yet a battle had raged around him and again he had been called to help pick up the pieces. John had been asked to search the wreckage and find any Na'vi that might still be breathing and to help them however he could. Here he was on another battlefield performing triage on wounded soldiers, thinking about it John wondered whether he was meant for something more out of life. Jake certainly had been meant for something more, something bigger.

Jake, through a process John could not understand, had permanently been transferred to his avatar. John knew that Jake was far happier now, able to walk and run on his own two feet. Following the transfer ceremony Jake had been helping to rebuild the clan as the temporary Olo'eytkan of the Omaticaya. It had been Jake that had asked John to help with the wounded, and John was happy to do anything he could to help. Jake had also asked Norm to help, even though Norm had lost his avatar to a gunshot would during the battle he had stayed on Pandora to make things right between the Na'vi and the human chosen.

"Doc, it looks like we got a live one here." Norm said, pointing towards a tree that had been crushed during the battle.

John searched through the low hanging brush for the source of the moaning, finding a Na'vi warrior lying against a tree. The warrior had some minor burns and some deep lacerations but it appeared as though he would live. John quickly crouched down and applied the wound paste to the lacerations, sealing them as best he could. He then smeared a soothing plant extract on the burns; the plant had many of the same properties as the aloe plant that used to grow so long ago on earth.

"Norm, signal Pey'lal. She and I will have to move him back to the camp so he can heal." John said. He had been surprised when Pey'lal had agreed to come and help him transport the wounded back to the temporary village. From his limited time with the Omaticaya he knew she was a great huntress and strong warrior, but she also held great concern for all the warriors that had fallen. With Norm's avatar still recovering from the almost fatal wound, it fell on Pey'lal and John to carry the wounded.

Pey'lal put the makeshift stretcher she was carrying down and helped John move the wounded warrior onto it. As they lifted the warrior John heard Pey'lal whisper something that was too fast for him to translate. John often heard her whispering what seemed to be prayers over the fallen warriors they came upon. At first working with Pey'lal was difficult since she had little trust for the remaining sky people who had been chosen to stay among the Na'vi. She had not been happy when Jake had told her she would be working with John, but after seeing John's desire to save as many Na'vi as he could she was much warmer towards him. John was not sure if he would say she trusted him, but they were able to work together well now.

They carried the wounded warrior back to the temporary Omaticaya camp, gently placing him in the makeshift clinic that John had set up. John looked to see the sun setting quickly, knowing how dangerous the forests of Pandora were after dark he would have to wait until sunrise to continue searching the battlefield for wounded. This warrior made a total of three alive, eleven dead, and four more mortally wounded Na'vi that they had brought back to camp that day. John was disheartened by all the death the Na'vi had suffered, but was happy that he could help to save at least some of them. John took one last look at each of the wounded, easing their suffering where he could, and finally laid down to rest himself feeling his consciousness pull back into his own body. John collapsed on his bunk, exhausted and drifted off to sleep.

**

It had been a long time since Jake had dreamed this dream. The same dream he had while lying in the hospital knowing he would never walk again. He dreamed of flying through the clouds, soaring high above the forest surrounded by warmth he could not explain. Jake also remembered feeling the strong female presence in those dreams, a presence he could not explain at the time. Now, Jake knew what and who that presence was, even if he still could not explain it fully. It was Neytiri, his life mate, the reason he had come to love the people and the forests of Pandora so much. Jake did not understand how he had felt her in his dreams even back on earth, but he was sure that Eywa had something to do with it and he was extremely grateful.

For all Jake had done for the Na'vi people, Neytiri had done far more for him. She had taught him to truly see, and in doing so had saved him. Leading the people would never fully erase the debt he owed both Neytiri and Eywa, but it was certainly a start. Jake felt something move next to him causing him to wake from his pleasant dream. Neytiri seemed to be a bit restless in her sleep as the dawn neared. Jake knew her restlessness probably came from her sharing his feelings of inadequacy through their bond. Even if they were not actually connected through their queues, Neytiri could still feel any strong emotion he felt.

Jake looked at Neytiri's sleeping form lying next to him and smiled, noticing the sun just starting to push the soft blue light of the night away. It would be daytime soon, and he knew there was much to be done. Since Tsu'tey's death, Jake had been given the temporary leadership of the clan. He would need to go out with the hunters soon to bring back food for the injured, but for now Jake wanted more time next to Neytiri.

"_Excuse me Toruk Makto, Tsahik requests your presence."_ Jake looked up to see a young Na'vi speaking to him. It was strange for Mo'at to be asking him to meet her so early in the morning.

"_Thank you, young one, for bringing me the message._" Jake replied, not knowing the boys name.

Jake felt Neytiri stir and finally sit up next to him, her large golden eyes looking deeply into his. He could tell she had some idea what her mother wanted, but did not look willing to share. Neytiri stood up in one fluid motion and put her hand on his arm, rubbing it lightly as if to reassure him.

"_Come Jake, mother waits._" She said as she pushed him lightly out of their resting place in the direction of Mo'at's temporary home. Neytiri grabbed Jake's hand lightly, intertwining her fingers with his causing a surge of happiness to flow quickly through Jake. Although he would not admit it to anyone, Neytiri's touch made him truly feel alive and he could not imagine his life without her in it. They walked quickly through the camp, passing several Na'vi preparing for the morning hunt. Jake tried to return the customary greetings to them but many were cut short as Neytiri pulled him along.

Finally they reached Mo'at's dwelling, Neytiri releasing Jake's hand and gazing deep into his eyes. She lightly kissed him, and then pressed her forehead against his allowing calming emotions to sweep through both of them. "Good luck, my Jake." She whispered in English before making her way back through the camp the way they had come. Jake looked after her longingly for a second, still feeling the touch of her lips against his before a voice brought his attention back to his surroundings.

"_Come JakeSully, we must talk._" Mo'at said, her voice not giving Jake any clues as to whether this would be a good conversation or a bad one. Mo'at led Jake slowly towards the Tree of Souls, her feet dancing lightly over the ground much as her daughters did. Jake followed close behind, feeling the strong presence of Eywa now that he was so close to the sacred tree.

"With Tsu'tey's death you were made the temporary Olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya." Mo'at said, switching to English so Jake could follow along with ease. "Now that the sky people have left our lands, a permanent Olo'eyktan must be chosen. You being Toruk Makto and the mate of my daughter who is to become Tsahik would be the obvious choice. However, you must pass the trials if you are to be the true Olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya."

"What trials?" Jake asked with apprehension creeping into his voice as his self doubt began to resurface. He still was not sure whether he could be the leader the Omaticaya truly deserved.

"_There are two trials one must pass_." Mo'at switched back to Na'vi. "_Firstly you must offer yourself up to be challenged to combat by any warrior who does not feel you are able to lead the people. Should no one offer a challenge you are able to proceed to the second trial. The second trial is one before Eywa, you must commune with the great mother and she must bless your union with the clan much like she blessed your union with your mate. Should you pass both trials the elders and I will name you Olo'eyktan and Neytiri Tsahik."_

Jake was not certain that he would be able pass these trials, and was even less certain that Eywa would bless his union with the clan. He understood why it would be necessary, just as Eywa blesses the bond between mates she must also bless the bond between the leader and his clan. Jake thought for a moment, a look of grim determination settled over his face as he made up his mind.

"_I will do whatever is needed of me to serve the Omaticaya and Eywa._" He quietly replied to Mo'at. She smiled at Jake, placing a hand reassuringly on his shoulder then started to walk away from the tree of souls.

"_The trials begin tomorrow at dawn, prepare yourself JakeSully_." Mo'at said before turning and walking back towards the temporary camp.

Jake watched as she walked away, making a mental note that he must ask Neytiri how he can prepare for this second trial.

**

John stretched as he opened his eyes, back in his avatar after a good night's rest. He awoke to find the Omaticaya already going about their daily tasks, noticing that someone had left a small basket of fresh fruit while he was sleeping. Quietly whispering thanks John grabbed one of the purple fruits and started chewing it, relishing the sweet juice it held. Once he had finished eating John went to work checking on the wounded Na'vi in the clinic. Making sure that none had passed on during the night, he put another round of the wound sealant on the various lacerations each warrior had. John noticed Jake walking by, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

"Hey Jake, you look troubled. Need to talk about it?" John said warmly greeting Jake, hoping he might be able to help with any problem that Jake had.

"Oh, hey Doc." Jake replied. "I'm not sure you can help this time, seems I must face two trials in order to lead the people as the permanent Olo'eyktan."

John thought a moment, not sure he would be able to help Jake but willing to give him anything. Even though Jake had been given his legs back through his permanent transfer to his avatar body, John still felt he owed a debt to Jake that could never be repaid due to his failure to give the wounded marine the ability to walk. "What are these trials then Jake?" John asked, wondering what could be troubling one of the strongest men he knew.

"I must place myself in front of the people and accept any challenges to my leadership." Jake replied. "If a challenge is issued I must duel the challenger until the victor is decided."

"Well, that doesn't seem too bad." John said his voice full of optimism for Jake. "You are certainly a good enough warrior that you should at least be on equal footing with the warriors of the clan."

"That isn't the part that worries me Doc, the second challenge I must commune with Eywa and receive her blessing over the bonding of myself to the tribe as Olo'eyktan." Jake said, apprehension creeping into his voice. "I made a promise to myself that I could pass any test, but I don't know that I can pass this one."

John looked at Jake for a second, trying to decide how best to help his friend. "Well, I can't help you commune with Eywa, you're all on your own there." John finally said. "I can, however, give you a special drink I've mixed containing a very special local plant root. Pey'lal pointed it out to me yesterday; she said it gives the one that drinks it resistance to pain. As near as I can tell it helps the body produce natural pain killers that persist through a battle."

"Thanks Doc, I think I'm gonna need it." Jake said while taking the small jug of the fluid John handed to him.

John watched his friend walk away, wondering whether any warrior would see fit to challenge his right to lead. Either way John had confidence that Jake would be able to pass the trials and lead the people.

**

The night had passed quickly; the sun rising just like it was any other day on Pandora. Jake knew that this was no ordinary day. As he stood in front of the Omaticaya gathered beneath the tree of souls he said a silent prayer to Eywa that she might help him through the coming ordeal. He could hear Mo'at speaking, her voice booming across seated Na'vi.

"_It is time that we choose a new Olo'eyktan and receive Eywa's blessing upon him so that we might prosper."_ Mo'at pointed at Jake as she spoke, causing all eyes to fall on him. "_We have before us a great warrior, mate to my daughter the future Tsahik, and the last to bond with the great Toruk. I request that he be given the trials. Is there any that would stand up and challenge his right to lead the people?"_

Jake looked out over the gathering, waiting for anyone that might stand up and provide the first test. An uneasy silence had settled over the people, to Jake it was as if time had come to a complete stand still. A lone warrior Jake recognized as one of the strongest and eldest warriors among the tribe silently stood. Jake did not know his name, only that he was a fierce warrior.

"_Tsahik, JakeSully must be tested if he is to truly become our Olo'eyktan."_ The warrior said loudly. "_I challenge Toruk Makto to combat in the first trial for the right to lead the Omaticaya_."


	4. Tragedy

Legal: All movie characters, locations, and names are the intellectual property of James Cameron and/or Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. I claim no ownership over anything but my original characters and original plot line.

Any lines spoken in Na'vi will be _italicized_ in the quotes since I am terrible with translating it.

Sorry it took so long to update with this chapter. Some things going on at work that took my time. I hope you are all enjoying and I am sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger with the ending of this one. Chapter 5 should be very interesting. Please enjoy and don't forget to review!

* * *

IV. Tragedy

Jake watched as Neytiri's fingers dipped lightly into the red paint. Moving slowly she lightly touched her finger tips to Jake's skin, leaving behind a trail of the red war paint in the decoration customary for the Olo'eyktan trials. He smiled as he felt her apply gentle pressure to his chest, shoulders, and finally to his cheeks and forehead. His eyes caught hers and Jake immediately felt as though she was looking straight through him to the very depths of his soul.

"You must fight like you mean to kill him Jake, for he will be fighting like he means to kill you." Neytiri whispered to him in English. "Eywa and I choose you because of your strong heart, and your willingness to give your heart to the people."

"Thank you Neytiri, without you I would have been lost so many times before. I will return to you as Olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya, I promise." Jake replied his voice strong and proud.

"I see you my Jake." Neytiri stated lovingly as she hugged him to her, kissing him one last time. "Go now; embrace your destiny as leader of our people"

Jake gave Neytiri one last kiss and walked quickly away towards a large group of Omaticaya gathered in a large circle. Jake stood next to Mo'at in the circle, with the elder warrior standing on the opposite side of the Tsahik. Jake had learned from Mo'at that this warrior's name was Aranti and he was one of the strongest of the elder Omaticaya warriors. Two hunters approached them, carrying large spears with tips sharp enough to slice through even the thickest animal hides. Jake and Aranti each took a spear and turned to face each other.

"_It is time to decide which warrior shall lead the people._" Mo'at spoke quickly in Na'vi to the gathered crowd. "_The winner will be decided when one of these warriors surrenders or dies._"

Jake cringed slightly knowing he was the cause of many Na'vi deaths already during the destruction of Hometree. He did not wish to be the cause for any more deaths of the people. Looking into the elder warriors eyes Jake realized that there would be no surrendering; this was a fight to the death.

"_Good luck brother may Eywa smile upon our combat today._" Aranti spoke to Jake so that the gathered Na'vi could not hear his words. "_Do not fear killing me, dying at the hands of Toruk Makto would be an honorable death."_

Jake looked at Aranti intently waiting to see if he had more to say, but the warrior remained silent. "_Good luck, brother._" Jake spoke as he gripped the wooden spear tightly. His senses were alive with anticipation; every feeling seemed to be magnified. Jake could feel the grain of the wood in the spear he held, he could hear the wind gently whistling past him, and he could hear his heart beating strongly just like a ceremonial drum.

Aranti surged forward quickly making a stab with the spear right at Jake's upper torso. Jake reacted a mere half a second slowly, parrying the strike with his own spear. Pain erupted in his left shoulder as the spear tip sliced him. Jake cursed his unpreparedness and immediately turned and crouched back into a fighting pose as Aranti set himself for another strike. Jake took advantage of his opponent's temporary distraction and lunged; aiming his spear directly at the warrior's heart but Aranti was a step ahead ducking quickly. Aranti swung his spear hard and slammed the blunt end into Jake's chest. Jake staggered backwards as the wind was knocked out of him, struggling to catch his breath.

Jake looked up in time to see Aranti making another quick dash at him, the deadly spear tip glistening in the sunlight. Jake parried the spear then swept Aranti's legs with his own spear causing the elder warrior to fall hard on his back. Immediately Jake jumped up and pinned Aranti putting the sharp spear tip at the warrior's throat. As he looked down into Aranti's eyes Jake saw a look of contentment on the older warrior's face.

"_I submit JakeSully."_ Aranti whispered to Jake. "_You are fit to be Olo'eyktan and to lead the people._"

Jake relaxed his hold on Aranti and stood up as Mo'at approached them. She looked at Jake and gave him a knowing smile that seemed to tell Jake she never had any doubt what the outcome of the trial would be. Jake extended a hand to Aranti and helped the warrior to his feet. He could hear Mo'at speaking and the gathered Na'vi cheering for him. Jake could feel the aches in his muscles and the dull pain of the cut on his shoulder. He really needed to get some rest and was looking for Neytiri hoping to talk to her about the second trial while he rested.

"_Now the second trial begins._" Mo'at said to the gathering, placing a hand on Jake's shoulder. "_JakeSully will speak with Eywa and should she bless him with a good vision he will become the true Olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya."_

It seemed that Jake would not be getting any rest today. Mo'at pointed towards the tree of souls and nodded to Jake with a smile. As Jake walked away from the gathered Na'vi he wondered whether Eywa would choose him as the true leader of the people.

**

John had watched the duel between Aranti and Jake with a feeling of apprehension. He could tell that Aranti was fighting with the intent to kill Jake and he hoped that Jake would not back down from this challenge. It seemed as though his fears were not justified as Jake was the warrior who had won the fight in the end. John felt happy for his friend, hoping that the second trial would find Jake victorious as well.

As the excitement of the fight died down John decided it was time to replenish his supply of the plant roots and leaves he would need to prepare more medicines. Walking through the jungles of Pandora alone was not always the best idea but it gave John time to think and reflect on the lives of the Na'vi and on his own life. He also loved exploring the forest since he knew there was so much you could not see just by flying over it in a Samson.

John had some advantages over the other avatar drivers since he was the only one other than Jake who had any combat training. He was able to move through the foliage very quietly and John knew with as many predators as Pandora had he needed to keep as low a profile as possible when out on his own. John brushed aside a large hanging fern and stepped onto a small overhang and was immediately struck by how amazing the view was. A small river flowed to his left that ended in a waterfall which cascaded over the overhang and into a lake below. The lake was surrounded by tall trees and from this vantage point John could see all the many forms of life that stopped to drink.

"Wow, would never see anything this beautiful on earth." John said quietly not really meaning to speak out loud but unable to stop himself.

As John stood looking out at the serene landscape of the waterfall he felt a strange burning sensation in his left foot. He looked down thinking perhaps he had been bitten by some sort of insect, but his foot was untouched in the boots he wore. John started to panic as the sensation spread, moving up his left leg and starting up his right foot and leg. The sensation became more intense as it spread higher covering more than half his body now. John frantically looked over his avatar body for something that could be causing this but could find nothing out of the ordinary. Somewhere, something was definitely wrong.

**

Jake sat down in front of the tree of souls and grabbed several of the glowing strands that hung down like the leaves of a willow tree. He held his queue up to them and let the fibers join together, immediately feeling the rush of connecting to the consciousness as it flowed through him. Jake was not quite sure how he should start this particular trial. He guessed that perhaps Eywa would guide him and he was not left guessing for very long.

Jake's vision started to blur and it seemed to him as though a thin layer of mist was covering everything including his own body. It reminded Jake somewhat of his old dreams of flying through the skies over the forests. He was flying again but this time he could tell there was a purpose to this flight, a destination. Below him the forests of Pandora were passing by quickly as he soared far overhead. His flight stopped as suddenly as it began and the mist started to clear before Jake. In the distance he saw a great tree that extended far into the sky.

This tree was surrounded by a large lake on one side and forests on the other. Among the branches of the tree Jake could clearly see blue forms moving up and down. He could see Ikran residing amongst the upper most branches and Pa'li roaming on the ground drinking from the lake. Jake could also see the forest and lake surrounding the tree was alive with life. Fish swam in the lake and through the river that fed it. Herds of hexapedes grazed in the forests surrounding the great tree.

As he watched the scene before him started to move almost as if it were in fast forward. The blue forms became clearer to Jake. They were people of the Omaticaya living in the great tree. He saw them live, saw them age, and saw them die only to see new babies born again. The cycle of life continued onward for the people living in the tree. Suddenly the vision slowed to a stop and focused in on one particular Na'vi, a beautiful female Na'vi holding a young girl in her arms. Jake recognized Neytiri immediately despite the great space between them.

Looking at her beautiful face Jake realized that she was smiling. It was the smile she always gave him in moments when she was experiencing pure joy. It dawned on him then that she and all the people were truly happy here. The great cycle of energy continued on as it always had on Pandora.

"Eywa will provide." Jake spoke aloud in English, a true sense of wonder in his voice. "Does this mean you are giving me your blessing?"

No response was given and Jake was sure none was actually needed as the mists cleared and he found himself again sitting beneath the tree of souls. He looked up and smiled as he stood up and walked away from the tree. He felt the wind against his back as if Eywa was pushing him back towards the people, towards his people, with her blessing. Mo'at gazed at him and smiled as she put a hand to his chest.

"_What has Eywa shown you JakeSully?_" Mo'at asked.

"_I saw a great tree surrounded by life and filled with the Omaticaya people._" Jake replied.

Mo'at thought for a moment then turned and addressed the Na'vi who had gathered as they saw Jake return from the tree of souls. "_Eywa has given JakeSully her blessing. Our new Olo'eyktan is decided!_"

Cheers erupted from the Na'vi as they all congratulated their new leader. Jake felt relieved that everything was finally settled and the clan could move on with life. Jake knew that a great feast would be prepared to celebrate the naming of a new Olo'eyktan, but for now he only wished to see the smiling face of Neytiri. He silently thanked Eywa for her blessing and walked off into the camp.

**

John stumbled and fell to his knees as the strange burning sensation covered his whole body. Every nerve center was alive as waves of pain crashed over him repeatedly. He had never felt as much pain as he did now. His avatar body was rolling across the ground trying to put out the unseen fire. Nothing was lessening the pain that coursed through him. John had never found himself wishing for death, but at this moment he truly wished that it would just end so he might be freed from the pain.

John could feel his heart beating so quickly he thought it might explode within his chest. As he looked up at the sky his vision blurred and a strange white light started to appear. John blinked trying to fight back the pain that was coursing through his body but there was nowhere to hide from it. The pain invaded every part of his being and took over every aspect of his senses. The white light he saw before him grew until it covered everything and surrounded John. John felt the pain grow to an unbearable level and knew that the end was finally coming.

Suddenly the pain stopped. John could not see or hear anything; it was as if the world had just stopped completely. The light and mist covered John and wrapped around him like a thick blanket. He thought he heard a soft voice saying 'Welcome Home' as he slipped away and let the light take him.


	5. Second Chances

Legal: All movie characters, locations, and names are the intellectual property of James Cameron and/or Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. I claim no ownership over anything but my original characters and original plot line.

Any lines spoken in Na'vi will be _italicized_ in the quotes since I am terrible with translating it.

Sorry for the amount of time between chapters, had some busy work days lately. I do hope you enjoy this chapter and look forward to the next one. Also please review so I know what I can improve on and what I am doing right. Thanks in advance!

* * *

V. Second Chances

Dying had not been anything like what John had expected. He had only felt the terrible pain followed by warmth he could not even begin to describe. There was no long white tunnel leading to the afterlife. The scenes of his life did not pass before his eyes. John still felt as though he was floating through the mist that had surrounded him on Pandora. Something was strange now though, the only thing he could see was pure black darkness and there were voices speaking. No matter what he tried he could not make sense of what they were saying but he heard them nonetheless.

As a doctor on the battlefields of earth John had questioned the existence of a supreme being. He always wondered how a god could be so cruel as to put people through so much suffering and death. Floating here in this vast nothingness John wondered whether this was the afterlife. John could not see anything and the only thing he could hear were the voices that were getting louder. Suddenly he could hear the voices clearly. They were talking about him and the situation that he was in.

John was perplexed as to what the situation the voices were referring to as he was most certainly dead. Finally he opened he forced his eyes to open and the darkness receded only to be replaced by a bright light. As his eyes adjusted a face came into view above him. It was the face of a Na'vi woman he had never seen before. John thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her face was perfectly balanced, her large golden eyes looking at him with a slight hint of worry. John could see she was moving her lips and finally he could associate one of the voices as being hers.

He found himself entranced by her face and was unable to look at anything else. Just as suddenly as her face had appeared it moved away to be replaced by the blinding light again. John realized that the light was in fact the sun and he was lying on his back looking up at the sky. His whole body felt weak but there was absolutely no trace of the pain he had felt before. Forcing his muscles to move John brought a hand to his face, noticing the blue skin of his avatar before his eyes.

"Doc, you back with us?" The question came from somewhere to John's right from a voice he recognized.

"Jake? Is that you?" John asked his voice sounding hoarse for some reason.

"Yeah doc, good to see you're still breathin." Jake replied happily.

John started to sit up noticing that his whole body ached. He felt as though he had gone ten rounds with a championship boxer. Every muscle of his body felt sluggish and unresponsive and the mist that was swirling around his brain was causing his thoughts to come slowly. John felt a wave of nausea hit him as he tried to stand up and almost fell back down but Jake caught him.

"You gave us quite a scare there doc, it's lucky that Tirea found you and brought you back." Jake said as he placed a hand on John's back to help steady him. John looked to the Na'vi woman Jake was pointing at, the one he had found to be so beautiful. She stood there listening to Jake talk with a curious expression on her face. It occurred to John that perhaps she did not speak English but she made no move to leave or give them any privacy.

"What the hell happened to me?" John looked at Jake as he asked. "I've never been in so much pain Jake, ever."

"Well doc, why don't you have a seat and eat something first then I'll tell you as much as I know." Jake replied handing John a small basket of fruit.

John took the basket from Jake and picked up one of the fruit. Something was different now; it was as if John's sense of touch was so much greater than it used to be. He had always felt things in his avatar body but this time it was as if the sense was magnified. The skin of the fruit felt so much more real to John now. He looked up at Jake for a second with a confused expression then took a bite out of the fruit. The juice exploded in his mouth and his taste buds could pick up every subtle flavor down to the tiniest hints of sweet and sour. John could not help but smile at his sensory overload as he quickly at the fruits.

Jake gave John a knowing grin then his face switched to a serious expression. "There has been an accident John." Jake said quietly. "Something went wrong up at your mobile link site."

John looked at Jake thoughtfully and then at Tirea. "What kind of accident?" He asked.

"Well we were in the middle of the feast last night when both Nick and Kayla's avatar bodies collapsed." Jake spoke slowly trying to find the best way to explain things. "No one could figure out what happened so I had Norm try and call up to the link station. We all started to get pretty worried when there was no response or even any sign that the transmissions were going through."

Jake paused to let John fully understand what he had said so far. After a few seconds Jake could see the confusion on John's face so he continued speaking. "I had Norm meet me up at the link site in a Samson while I flew up on my Ikran. I don't think either of us was prepared for what we found up there John. As near as we can tell there was some sort of explosion followed by a fire that swept through the containers. It hit the link tubes of Kayla and Nick first and finally it hit yours last. I'm sorry John; neither of them survived the fire."

John's thoughts went to first Kayla and then to Nick. They had not been close friends, but John was still overcome with grief as tears began to form. John did not try to fight the tears as he wept for two good people who went well before their time. A hand rubbed John's arm lightly and he was surprised to see Tirea had moved next to him and comforting him. As his tears slowed and finally stopped falling, he turned to Jake with one thought on his mind. "Jake, how did I survive?" He asked.

Jake looked at John thoughtfully for a moment, obviously trying to decide how to explain things. Finally he spoke, "Well John, Neytiri and I discussed that earlier and we believe you survived because Eywa wanted you to. Your essence was transferred to your avatar as your body passed on."

"Because Eywa wanted me to?" John's voice filled with some disbelief as he responded to Jake.

"Yes John, I think Neytiri will be able to explain it to you much better than I." Jake said. "However it seems to us that Eywa has given you a chance at making a life here. One you hopefully will embrace and live to the fullest. I mean, look at me, just some dumb grunt that has become the leader of the people. This is a second chance John, make the best of it."

John looked at Jake and then down at his own body. "What happened to my other body Jake?" He asked quietly.

"We gave you, Kayla and Nick a proper burial with Eywa." Jake's voice held a touch of sadness for the two avatar drivers that did not survive. "Guess you could say that you missed your own funeral doc."

John sat for a second and contemplated what exactly this meant for him now and in the future. He was a Na'vi now. His avatar was suddenly much more than just a temporary vessel for his consciousness. This body was truly his body now. John glanced up at Jake and the looked at Tirea for a moment. He knew the only thing to do now was to learn to live as a Na'vi and to embrace the lifestyle just as Jake had. He noticed Jake was looking at him in a knowing manner, almost as if he understood what needed to happen.

"I need to learn to be one of the people just as you did Jake." John's voice filled with a determination he rarely had shown in his life. "I want to learn to be a hunter."

"_Good John, I will have one of the Omaticaya teach to you be a hunter._" Jake said in Na'vi so that Tirea could understand the conversation. "_You must learn just as I did and then you can become one of the people._ _You should also thank Tirea since it was her that found you and cared for you while you were unconscious._"

"_He will never learn to be a hunter._" A voice that John had never heard before said roughly. "_He may be a skilled healer but he will not grasp the life of a hunter._"

"_That is enough Etani._" Tirea said, immediately causing the newcomer to stop speaking. "_Eywa wished him to have a life here and he wishes to become one of the people. This satisfies all that is required to begin teaching him. I believe he is stronger than you realize._"

"_John, this is Etani._" Jake looked at the hunter as he spoke. "_He is a strong hunter, one of the best spearman in the clan. I think he will be a good choice to teach you to become a hunter."_

Tirea looked at John and gave him a slight smile as Jake spoke. John smiled back but his smile vanished when he looked at Etani. The scowl on Etani's face made John wonder what exactly he had done that caused so much unhappiness for this hunter. Etani was of average height for the Na'vi but his muscles had more definition than the usual wiry framed Omaticaya. John surmised this was due to intense training with a spear however he could not be certain of anything.

"_If that is what Olo'eyktan wishes then I will certainly obey._" Etani said nodding slightly to Jake. "_We will see if you are truly able to become a hunter JohnHale._"

**

Jake stepped away from his old friend and walked back towards the center of the village. As he looked around and noticed the shadows falling over the camp Jake realized they had been talking for most of the day. It would be time for the evening meal soon. As Jake walked through the camp he could feel the presence of his mate before he even could see her. He came upon her speaking quietly in Na'vi with Mo'at.

As he stood there watching her speak Jake realized again just how much he loved her. She was beautiful, graceful, and amazingly strong yet could be so dangerous when she was angry. Jake could feel the emotions he had repressed for the last few days begin to overflow within him. He felt the anger of the Na'vi at the sky people and the pain of so much death and destruction. Jake felt the sadness of the death of some of his closest friends and the happiness at the rebirth of others. As Jake's emotions threatened to become overwhelming he suddenly felt a calmness flow over him. He looked up to see Neytiri looking at him knowingly.

She motioned for Jake to come join her. As he approached he could hear the conversation between Neytiri and Mo'at.

"_My daughter, it is time for us to search for a new home._" Mo'at was saying quietly to Neytiri. As Jake approached Mo'at looked at him and smiled before continuing so they could both hear. "_We have lived near the tree of souls for too long. This is not the way the people should live. Eywa will guide us to another Hometree, all we must do is let her._"

Neytiri gently held Jake's hand as she listened to her mother speak, their fingers intertwined just like neural fibers during tsahaylu. She smiled at him then quickly looked back at her mother. Jake looked at Mo'at and squeezed Neytiri's hand as he decided how best to respond to. Finally he started to speak. "_I agree that the clan should not live here on the ground any longer. I will send a group of hunters to search for a new Hometree._"

"_Very good, I look forward to the day we may move into our new home._" Mo'at responded with a measure of pride in her voice. _"At first I did not agree with my daughter's mating choice JakeSully. I now see that everything happened as Eywa wished. I am proud to call you Olo'eyktan and also very proud to call you son._"

As she spoke Mo'at placed a hand over Jake's heart as Neytiri squeezed his hand gently. Mo'at nodded at them both then walked away towards the fire where the Omaticaya gathered for meals. Neytiri looked into Jake's eyes and smiled, gently kissing him. Jake often felt as though she was looking right through him. It was as if she could see directly into his soul and always knew what he was thinking and feeling. He understood that their bond was extremely strong even when not connected through tsahaylu.

"_My Jake, you will be a good Olo'eyktan._" Neytiri said lovingly as she embraced him. "_Just remember I am always here for you, even when we are not together. We will never be truly parted even should one of us pass from this life to the next._"

When she finished speaking Neytiri gave Jake another brief kiss, allowing her lips to linger on his for only a few seconds then took his hand and walked towards the bonfire. Jake thought it was strange for her to bring up death at a time like this but he knew her words were meant to comfort him. He knew the weeks ahead would be difficult for not just him, but John and all the Omaticaya. Jake only hoped that both he and John were truly up to the task that had been placed before them. Somewhere in the back of Jake's mind he also hoped that Etani would not kill John before he found a life among the people.


	6. Learning to be Omaticaya

Legal: All movie characters, locations, and names are the intellectual property of James Cameron and/or Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. I claim no ownership over anything but my original characters and original plot line.

Any lines spoken in Na'vi will be _italicized_ in the quotes since I am terrible with translating it.

Sorry about the speed of updates recently. Had some extra busy weeks at work and such. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Please enjoy and don't forget to review!

* * *

VI. Learning to be Omaticaya

It had been four weeks since Etani had started to instruct John on the ways of Na'vi hunters. John could not remember a time in his life when his body had been pushed to such extreme limits. The first week had been the worst for him. Every single muscle and joint had ached from the long days of running and climbing through the forest. After just one day it was clear to John that Etani had no intentions of making the training easy for him. He had remembered something Jake had said, "With the Na'vi it is learn fast or die." John was finding that was certainly the case with Etani.

As the weeks had progressed John was certainly noticing a change in his body. He no longer was winded after climbing or running and was even able to keep up with Etani. John still went to sleep every night with aches and pains, but that was more due to the sparring sessions that Etani made him participate in. During the second week of his training, Etani had handed John a blunted spear and told him that becoming a good hunter required him to become a great warrior as well. John stood little chance that day, completely unable to dodge or parry any of Etani's strikes and ended up going to sleep that night knowing the next day he would be covered in bruises.

Things had been different in the last few days. Etani had noticed John's skill with the spear starting improving drastically. John was able to fight on even ground during sparring sessions and had even managed to overpower Etani on several occasions. While this impressed Etani to some extent, his pupil was very slow to improve with the bow. John's strength and stance with the bow was correct, but his aim was often off target. Etani had tried to correct this error but after repeated failings had come to the conclusion that it might be better to have Tirea instruct John on the finer points of the bow and arrow.

During hunts Etani was unmatched with the spear. He was often complimented on his ability to be deadly accurate. While his skill with the bow was good, it was nothing when compared to Tirea's. She was able to hit even the most elusive of moving targets at great ranges. Once she had ranged her shot and marked her prey it never escaped. Tirea often said that she could not compete with Pey'lal as a hunter or with Neytiri in terms of beauty. In fact Etani knew that Tirea felt she was extremely average among the Na'vi. No matter how Tirea denied it she was a strong huntress.

Etani knew that Tirea's skill as a hunter was one of the reasons she was widely sought after within the Omaticaya as a potential mate for many young Na'vi. He had seen many ask her, but she had never accepted any of their affections. Etani had been with Tirea since they were small, growing up and learning to be hunters together. They had always been close but never had discussed anything other than the hunt or the normal business of the clan.

Lately Tirea had been spending time with John teaching him not only how to properly use a bow but also on other aspects of Na'vi life. He still did not understand why Olo'eyktan had placed him in charge of teaching John. Thinking about it often caused Etani's mood to darken, especially when he thought about Tirea spending time alone with John. As he watched the sun rise over Pandora and the blue color of night vanish Etani heard a slight rustle of leaves behind him. He turned around and was surprised to see John standing there.

There was little doubt that John was slowly becoming a better hunter. Perhaps his training was starting to sink in; John was beginning to move through the forest without making a sound. Etani knelt down and picked up one of the sharp spears that was waiting by his feet. He threw it to John and turned and started to run through the trees towards the river. Etani could sense John running behind him even if he could not hear him. John was definitely improving to be keeping up and not making any noise doing so. Etani quickly dropped down several branches as the noise of the flowing river grew louder. He stopped on the river bank and waited for John to silently join him.

Etani turned to John and pointed at a small canoe. "_Today we work on spear fishing, get into the boat JohnHale._" He said as he grabbed the canoe and held it steady for John. Etani pushed off from the shore and navigated the river slowly, gazing down until he saw a school of fish.

"_You must practice both patience and balance when fishing with a spear; pick the right time to strike._" Etani reminded John.

John nodded to Etani and slowly climbed to his feet inside the canoe. Looking over the side he spotted the school of strange looking fish and took a wide offensive stance. The boat rocked as John steadied himself. Etani remembered several weeks ago John could not even properly balance himself inside the boat and fell into the river many times. John focused on the water keeping his body extremely still. The spear tip flashed as he rapidly stabbed down into the water. Etani watched as John pulled the spear up and noticed the shining body of a fish hanging from it. John carefully removed the fish and put it in the boat, then prepared himself for another attempt.

After catching several fish Etani finally motioned for John to sit down and started rowing them back to shore. John gave Etani a questioning look and Etani finally said, "_Come, we must take these back. Then it is time to see how much you have improved with the spear._"

John certainly knew what that meant and winced slightly as he thought of all the bruises he would have the next day. The pair picked up the fish and ran swiftly through the trees back towards the village.

**

Jake sighed lightly as he stood watching Neytiri holding a newborn Na'vi baby. It had never occurred to him how many truly mundane tasks the leader of a clan would be required to oversee. On the one hand, it was definitely a beautiful sight to see his mate holding the newborn, rocking it gently against her chest. On the other hand this was the second birth he had attended in the last month. In Jake's eyes his presence at the birth was pointless since he just stood there while Neytiri and the midwives did all the work. Neytiri, however, assured Jake that his presence was just as important as hers was.

Neytiri handed the newborn baby girl back to the child's mother. Jake smiled at Neytiri as she walked towards him. For a second Jake thought he saw a look of longing in her eyes. Having children was not something Jake had thought about before mating with Neytiri. Through their bond he knew she wished to start a family. They had not talked about it and certainly no words needed to be exchanged due to the deep connection the bond created. Her strong desire for a family was all Jake needed to decide he wanted a family whenever Eywa blessed them with children.

Today it seemed Neytiri had other things on her mind as she took Jake's hand and walked towards the outskirts of the camp where the Pa'li were grazing. Neytiri looked at Jake and motioned towards a pair of horses drinking from the stream. As she spoke Jake detected a slight sadness in her voice, "my Jake it has been some time since Seze's death and I believe I am ready to bond with another Ikran."

Jake gave Neytiri a knowing smile then let out a call to his own Ikran. A shriek echoed across the riverbank from one of the tall trees that surrounded the Omaticaya camp. Jake's Ikran flew down from the overhead branches and landed in front of him, extending one of its neural whips to him. He formed the bond, feeling the power and consciousness of the creature become one with his own. A strong desire to fly and hunt passed over Jake causing him to wonder whether it was his desire or the Ikran's. He quickly thought of their destination and told his mount to fly and wait there, then broke the bond and climbed on the Pa'li.

His Ikran took flight making a path straight towards Iknimaya and the Ikran rookery. Jake formed the bond with the Pa'li and followed Neytiri as her own Pa'li galloped in the direction his Ikran had just gone. Jake was always surprised at how the direhorses truly loved to run, to them it was the ultimate freedom to gallop across the surface of Pandora. He found himself smiling as the feeling passed through the bond and settled over him. Jake understood what his mate had been missing and he was willing to do anything to help her discover that feeling again.

As they neared Iknimaya Jake could see the vine covered floating rocks rising up before them. Jake and Neytiri dismounted and began to climb towards the Ikran nest. Climbing up caused Jake's to remember his own Ikran trial and the feeling of flying for the first time. He also remembered the danger and the fact that he almost was thrown off the cliff. Neytiri slowed as they neared the waterfall that covered the entrance to the nest. For the first time Jake felt some apprehension at the thought of what his mate was about to attempt. He let those feelings pass as he took her hand and squeezed it showing his support for her.

Neytiri walked behind the waterfall and into the Ikran nest. Several Ikran hissed at her before taking flight, several others just ignored her completely. She knew that none of these were hers and walked further into the nest until she spotted a female Ikran watching her. This Ikran was not backing away and seemed to be daring Neytiri to come closer. As Neytiri approached the Ikran hissed and displayed its teeth, earning a return hiss from Neytiri.

The Ikran was the first to move, lunging at Neytiri with its jaws wide open. Neytiri quickly dodged the attack and threw her bolo around the creatures snout locking the deadly jaws shut. As she lunged for neural whip to make the bond the Ikran spun its body throwing Neytiri to the ground hard. Neytiri rolled away as one of the razor sharp claws came down right where she had landed only seconds before. Getting back to her feet quickly Neytiri jumped back onto the Ikran, grabbing the neural whip and bringing the end of her queue towards it. The neural fibers connected and she felt the power of the creature flow through her. She looked at Jake and smiled as her new Ikran took flight.

Jake immediately felt pride for his mate, knowing she was regaining what she had lost since the death of her first Ikran. He ran and mounted his own Ikran then took flight trying to catch up to Neytiri. The two Ikran leveled out next to each other as Neytiri looked at Jake lovingly. Jake knew there was much to be done back at the camp since a new Hometree still had not been found, but right now he wanted nothing more than to fly with his mate. He pushed all the other thoughts and concerns out of his mind and relished in the feeling of flying with Neytiri.

**

Tirea was waiting for Etani and John as they walked into camp carrying the fish. She greeted them both then handed John his bow and told Etani she was taking John to learn about making Tsahaylu. Etani scowled as Tirea lead John into the forest. No matter how tired John had been from running and fishing all morning, his weariness seemed to vanish when he was around Tirea. She was not particularly remarkable among the Na'vi in terms of beauty or skill but John noticed she had an energy about her that seemed infectious.

She led John swiftly through the underbrush and stopped in a clearing where a Pa'li stood grazing. Tirea stood in front of the horse and lightly stroked its chin as John approached from the side. John could hear the excitement in her voice as she started to tell him about the Tsahaylu.

"_You must learn about the bond if you wish to become a hunter._" Tirea said as she handed John the neural whip of the Pa'li. "_Through the bond you are able to tell the animal what to do or where to do. All you must do is think it and they will obey._"

John climbed on the Pa'li carefully adjusting himself so he could sit comfortably on its wide back. It was certainly a strange feeling having nothing between some of his most sensitive areas and the rough hide of the animal. He let the amusement of that fact go as he brought the end of his queue up to the neural connection of the horse. As the neural fibers linked John felt as though he was falling into a deep river of emotions.

As his consciousness fully merged with that of the Pa'li he could feel and see the world of Pandora as the animal did. John could feel exactly what the animal did with every breath it took. The world of Pandora was a plaything to this creature and John could feel an overwhelming desire to gallop through the forests and plains. He noticed Tirea giving him a look of approval as she remembered the sense of awe that all young hunters had when they made Tsahaylu for the first time.

Tirea released her hold on the Pa'li and stepped away. John looked around the clearing and thought of the horse running to the other side. Immediately the Pa'li sprang forward running towards the spot John had envisioned. John's leg muscles ached as he struggled to stay on the powerful creature as it ran. As the horse broke into a full gallop John slipped, bouncing off the rear end of the Pa'li and slamming into the ground hard. Sensing that the bond was broken the Pa'li slowed and finally stopped to drink from a small pool of water. John stood up and rubbed his backside knowing he would be paying for that the next day.

The sound of laughter filled the clearing as Tirea ran over and brought the Pa'li back to John. The horse extended one of its neural whips toward John as he climbed back on top of the creature, forming Tsahaylu with it. Tirea stepped back and John again thought of the horse moving across the clearing. This time he put conscious effort into controlling the speed of the animal and the horse trotted in a circle around Tirea. John began to feel more comfortable and instructed the Pa'li to speed up causing it to break out into a run. Again he lost his grip and slipped falling in a heap behind the running horse. As Tirea again guided the animal back to him, John realized that this was going to be an extremely long day.

**

The sun was setting by the time John and Tirea made their way back to the Omaticaya camp. John could feel the pain from the punishment he had put his body through during the long day. At least he had shown some improvement with the Pa'li. He had managed to stay on the horse while it was running at a full gallop before Tirea told him it was time to return to camp. John always preferred Tirea's more gentle style of teaching to Etani's straight to the point and often brutal style.

Aside from teaching John to use a bow and form Tsahaylu, she also taught him the more subtle parts of the Na'vi life. She was responsible for showing him to clean and cook the fish and other game animals that the hunters had brought back. John realized it was important to learn all he could from both Tirea and Etani. While Etani taught him to be a warrior and a hunter, Tirea taught him how to be one of the Omaticaya. She had even taken time to explain the strong bond and energy that all life on Pandora shared with each other and with Eywa. He had been truly fascinated by the strength that the people drew from their surroundings.

As they approached John noticed Etani and Jake standing at the edge of camp talking quietly to each other. Tirea greeted them and they looked up, Jake motioning for them to join the conversation.

"_Good you are back; there is something that I need the three of you to do._" Jake said with an edge of concern in his voice. "_None of the hunting parties that I sent have found a suitable new Hometree. I have decided to send you as the next search party._"

"_We would be honored Olo'eyktan._" Tirea said proudly, looking at both Etani and John. "_We will not fail to find a new Hometree._"

John was impressed by the conviction he heard in Tirea's voice. He knew that this task would not be easy, especially given the fact that none of the other hunting parties had found anything.

"_Take Pa'li and supplies for a few weeks and return once you have found something._" Jake looked at John as he spoke. "_Use this opportunity to further teach John what it means to be Omaticaya._"

"_Of course Olo'eyktan, we will leave at dawn._" Etani responded.

The conversation ended and they all went to prepare for the upcoming journey. As John lay down to sleep he felt the pain from the days training and wondered whether they would be successful in finding a new home for the people.


	7. Seach for a Home

Legal: All movie characters, locations, and names are the intellectual property of James Cameron and/or Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. I claim no ownership over anything but my original characters and original plot line.

Any lines spoken in Na'vi will be _italicized_ in the quotes since I am terrible with translating it.

Sorry for the time between updates here, been busy and all that. I hope people are still reading and enjoying. Please leave me some reviews :) I'll try to have the next chapter up sooner rather than later.

* * *

VII. Search for a Home

It never ceased to amaze John just how beautiful Pandora could actually be. There was so much to the moon that he had not seen or experienced. They had been riding for three weeks and John had already seen several creatures that he had never noticed before. Every night they had stopped to let the Pa'li rest and to make camp for the evening. The first night Tirea had taken John to see a solitary Stingbat hunting. It was an ugly creature but hunted with deadly accuracy, stinging its prey with the deadly tail stinger and finally eating after the poison had taken its toll.

Tirea had explained that this was all part of the circle of energy that flowed between the creatures and Eywa. She had said that this life energy was given by Eywa to the plants, animals, and even the Na'vi when they are born. The energy eventually returns to Eywa when the creature dies. John had a hard time understanding this complex flow of energy from one creature to another. No such ideologies had existed on earth for generations and it was a difficult concept to relate to. He did have a vague memory of Jake saying something about all energy on Pandora being borrowed and eventually having to be returned. He had never really given that statement much thought until now.

Yesterday they had passed the ruins of the first Hometree. John had watched on the monitors as the missiles collided with the pillars. He still remembered the gut wrenching pain he had felt as the monitor showed Hometree fall and burn. John could tell from the look on both Tirea and Etani's faces that they still remembered the pain of the loss as well. It was amazing that the Omaticaya had even allowed anyone to stay on Pandora after such a tragic crime had been committed against them. Yet there he was, living his life among them, learning to truly be one of the people.

Eywa had already started to reclaim the land around the site of old Hometree. New trees and plants had grown up through the ash. Various animals had made their dens inside of the old fallen tree. Even though Hometree could no longer support the Omaticaya, it could still support the other life forms of Pandora. Tirea had laughed when John made a comment about the amazing things Eywa could accomplish. She had poked fun at him for just now realizing what every Na'vi knew from birth.

John was pulled from his reverie by the rough sound of Etani's voice. Etani had been out hunting for the night's meal while Tirea and John were left to ensure the Pa'li found food and water. He emerged from the brush with the corpse of a Yerik draped over his shoulder. He looked at John and put the kill down on the ground in front of him.

"_You will clean and cook the meal tonight._" Etani gave John a slight smirk as he spoke.

John merely looked at Etani with a smile and started working to prepare the animal for cooking fire. Etani had been very surprised the first time he had seen John clean and prepare a fresh kill. John's training as a surgeon allowed him to move quickly and skillfully as he broke the creature down. He had easily become one of the fastest in the clan at preparing a kill for cooking. John himself had been surprised at how easily this skill had come to him. Using his Na'vi sized bone knife was certainly not as precise as a scalpel would have been, but he was still able to make expert cuts so that almost none of the meat was wasted.

John finished cleaning the kill and stood up to hang the meat over the fire for roasting when he felt a hand lightly grab his arm. Tirea took the meat from him with a knowing smile and went about cooking the meal. Etani's face softened as he watched Tirea prepare the dinner. John may have been very good at breaking a kill down, but he was a terrible cook. Whenever Etani had John cook the meat always seemed to end up burned and completely unappetizing. It was obvious to John that Tirea did not wish to be treated to one of his famously bad meals and he was more than happy to allow her to do the cooking.

The next morning a rumbling sound caused John to wake. To John's sensitive Na'vi ears it sounded almost like rolling thunder that was still some distance away. Strangely John could also feel a slight vibration through the ground that seemed to be increasing in its intensity. He quietly got up, making sure that both Tirea and Etani were still sleeping and made his way out of their camp and into the forest. As he ran John could feel the dampness of the forest and could still smell the refreshing scents of the morning dew. John stopped running only to orient himself so that he was still running in the direction of thunder.

A strange feeling of curiosity was driving John to search out the cause of the loud noise. He silently ran along the forest floor quickly climbing a nearby tree so that he could continue running through the branches and hopefully have a good view of whatever it was creating such a stir. John began to notice the air grow dustier as the forest thinned out ahead of him causing him to slow his pace to a walk. As he parted a set of low hanging branches his breath was taken away by the scene that lay before him. A great herd of creatures was making its way along a game trail below where John crouched watching. The dust, the thunder, even the vibration John felt through the ground all made sense as he watched so many great creatures moving as single unit.

"_Talioang._" A soft feminine voice whispered in John's left ear. "Your people called them Sturmbeests."

"I'd heard Dr. Augustine talk about them, but I've never seen anything other than a photograph." John quietly replied, not taking his eyes of the large beasts moving below him. "_They are really quite stunning_."

"_The movement of the herds is an important time for all Na'vi._" Tirea said as she gripped John's shoulder lightly with her hand. "_Once a herd is located a great hunt takes place where young hunters prove themselves worthy of being one of the people._ _Come, Etani waits._"

The two Na'vi turned and ran back through the forest towards Etani and the waiting Pa'li. Etani scowled slightly as Tirea and John entered camp, then gave them each some meat that was left from the previous dinner before mounting his Pa'li. John ate quickly and formed Tsahaylu and sat comfortable on his own Pa'li, knowing they had a long way to ride. Tirea pointed out many more creatures as they traveled through the lush forest. John had never seen a forest Ikran before and was amazed at how much smaller they were than the mountain Ikran that the Na'vi rode. Tirea pointed out a flying creature that appeared to John like a floating Jellyfish that once thrived in the oceans of earth. John learned from Tirea that the tentacles hanging from the creature were extremely dangerous especially to the unsuspecting victim.

After running the entire day John could feel the exhaustion flooding over him from his Pa'li when Etani finally motioned for them to make camp for the night. John heard the sound of a creature walking through the forest not far from where the three Na'vi had stopped. His ears perked up as he listened intently to the almost silent footsteps of whatever might be walking around. Etani noticed John's curious behavior and listened carefully. He motioned for John to follow as he slipped off through the trees towards the sound.

John ran lightly keeping pace with Etani noticing that the ground was becoming increasingly wet as they ran further. He could also hear the sound of a river somewhere nearby, it sounded as if they were close to some rapids or maybe a waterfall. Etani's pace slowed and then he stopped running completely and crouched low to the ground, motioning for John to follow he began to crawl through the underbrush. John followed suit and crawled behind Etani, feeling his heart start to race at the unknown before him. In many ways John realized he was just like a child on Pandora, everything from the creatures to the plants was wondrous and amazing to him.

Through the trees John saw one of the strangest creatures he had ever encountered, even on Pandora. It had long head that almost looked like a spear tip attached to a strong neck and lower body. As John watched the neck cocked back and suddenly shot forward causing the spear like head to detach and fly at whatever it was hunting. John's ears picked up a squealing noise and the body ran towards it and out of sight. The name of this creature came to him suddenly, they had called them slingers.

"_We call them Lenay'ga._" Etani said. "_The heads are often used as spear tips during the great hunt._"

Etani turned around and started back through the brush towards camp as John followed behind him. The sound of rushing water was getting louder as they ran until they were running right along the riverbank. John increased his pace to keep up with Etani when suddenly his foot slipped on the wet rocks along the bank of the river. John slid head first into the raging rapids of the river and tried hard to kick up to the surface. The force of the water threw John left and right causing him to slam into rocks and underwater tree limbs. John could feel several cuts and scrapes already from the impacts he had suffered.

It took all of his strength to keep his head above the fast flowing water as it carried him downriver. Out of the corner of his eye John noticed Tirea and Etani running along the river bank; it looked to him like they were shouting but all he could hear was the rushing and crashing of the water as it pounded against him. John could feel the exhaustion start to overtake him as he fought hard to stay floating in the rough rapids. Not even the running he did daily compared to the physical exertion of trying to keep his head above such fast moving water. Movement along the bank caught John's eye and as he looked Tirea was pointing towards something downriver with a worried look on her face.

John looked downriver just in time to feel himself propelled over a large waterfall. As he started to freefall John quickly straightened his legs out under him and hit the water with surprising speed. The force of the rushing water forced John down until he hit the silt at the bottom of the waterfall. He struggled to swim back to the surface until finally the force of the water eased as he swam away from the base of the waterfall. John finally could feel the sand beneath him as he swam up to the river bank and crawled onto the beach, panting from exhaustion and coughing up water he had swallowed.

As John lay on his back looking at the sky all he could see was a thick cover of green leaves moving softly in the breeze. Strangely John did not see the trunks of any trees nearby so he stood up carefully on his aching legs and looked around. He was in a large valley surrounded on one side by a steep ridge with the waterfall pouring into the lake below. John could barely make out the other side of the valley but could tell the forest surrounded all sides. As his eyes panned over the scene before him he noticed that sitting in the middle of the valley was a giant tree. John had never seen the old Hometree of the Omaticaya but he imagined it was almost as big as this great tree.

As he stood there staring at the tree John was aware of two splashes behind him in the lake. Tirea and Etani climbed out of the water and stood next to him on the beach. Tirea looked at John with a worried look. Tirea's voice was filled with concern as she spoke to John. "_Are you ok John?_"

"_What?_" John answered his attention still on the giant tree before him. He finally looked away from the tree and at his own body. His arms and legs were covered in scratches from being slammed into rocks on his journey down the river. John quickly assessed the cuts to make sure none of them needed extra attention. He looked at Tirea and smiled before answering her, "_I'm fine, they are just scrapes._"

Tirea gave John a relieved look before turning her attention to the great tree standing before them. John could see her expression change to one of complete wonder at what they had found. She turned and hugged John tightly, then turned and hugged Etani as well.

"_We found it._" Tirea whispered as she turned back towards the impressive tree, a huge smile on her face.

From this distance it looked to John as if there were actually two trees that had grown very close to one another and their branches had intertwined to create a very dense canopy of leaves. As they walked closer John noticed that this was actually a single tree that had been split down the middle at some point. He could just make out scorch marks along one side of the tree and could tell that a great storm must have sundered the tree in two at one point but it had grown tall and strong despite that. The tree had an outer ring of strong columns just like the first Hometree, but standing under the tree in the center and looking up John could see the two separate trunks going towards the sky. In between the trunks many strong and thick branches had grown, creating a crisscrossed pattern along with many different platforms and levels the people could live on.

It was amazing to John that his sheer dumb luck had brought them to the perfect location for the Omaticaya's new home. Somehow the overjoyed look on Tirea's face made John feel even happier than knowing he had brought them to Hometree, even if it was thanks to his own stupidity.

**

Jake sat quietly across from Mo'at knowing that she had something important to discuss since it had been Mo'at who requested his presence. His mind and attention were being pulled in so many different directions with all the different concerns of the clan. None of the groups he had sent returned with news of a new Hometree and John, Tirea and Etani had still not come back at all. Sitting in front of Mo'at now he could not help but wonder what she wanted to speak to him about. Mo'at looked at Jake and smiled then spoke quietly, "_JakeSully you have become a fine Olo'Eyktan._"

"_Thank you_." Jake answered, not sure how to really respond.

"_You have taken on all the duties expected, and have performed them with the strength Neytiri saw in you._" Mo'at said. "_I am proud you became my daughters mate JakeSully, I know you will love and care for her without fail._"

Jake thought for a minute, remembering his life on Pandora so far and his experiences with the Na'vi princess. He had certainly proved his devotion when he abandoned a part of himself and bonded with Toruk to help unify and lead the Na'vi against Quaritch. He could not even imagine what his life would be like now, had he not come to Pandora and met Neytiri.

"_She gave me something to fight for._" Jake said softly. "_All I had ever wanted was a purpose and it was only after meeting Neytiri that I found that purpose. I don't ever want to see her face in pain again._"

"_Yes, Eywa does not make mistakes JakeSully._" Mo'at smiled as she spoke. "_Your bond with Neytiri was tested and acknowledged by Eywa because it was meant to be. However, that is not the reason I called you here today. War with the skypeople has left the Omaticaya numbers diminished from what they once were. It is time for mated pairs to consider having children to keep the clan strong._"

"_Consider having children?_" Jake asked slightly taken aback at Mo'at's straight forward suggestion. "_You mean Neytiri and I?_ _Have children?_"

"_Yes JakeSully, it is expected that you will have children so the leadership of the clan will be carried on according to tradition._" Mo'at said. She looked at Jake and gave him a slight smile. "_My daughter understands what is expected and the needs of the clan now must come first. Once a new home is found you must start thinking of a family with Neytiri._"

Jake thought for a moment and as he was about to respond he heard several excited cries coming from the entrance to the village. Mo'at looked distracted by the cries as well and she motioned that Jake was free to leave her and investigate the source of the commotion. He stood and walked jogged in the direction of all the noise. As he approached Jake could make out three familiar faces standing in the middle of a large crowd of Omaticaya. John spotted Jake and started to run towards him, a huge grin spread across his face as he approached Jake.

"What is going on John?" Jake asked expectantly. "What did you find?"

"Jake, we found it!" John replied excitedly. "We found Hometree!"


End file.
